The Best Rooftop Bars in Bangkok, Worth the Elevator Ride

At the famous hotel rooftops, booking is wise for sunset and weekends, especially if you want a table by the edge. Many take reservations online or by phone, and some set a minimum spend for the best tables. Smaller rooftops and quieter weeknights are usually fine as walk-ins. If you're taking a date, book: queuing at the lift in the heat is not the first impression you want.

Aim to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. That's when the rail seats and best tables go, and when some bars still run happy-hour prices, so you get the daylight view, the sunset and the city lights for the price of a drink or two. After about 8pm the sunset crowd moves on, so a later visit is quieter at the high-end spots, with a better chance of a table without booking.

Yes, compared with street level. You pay for the view, and cocktails at the famous hotel rooftops cost several times a street bar price, often with service charge and VAT added. Smaller rooftops on mid-range hotels offer similar views for much less. VIP members see which rooftops justify the markup and which are overpriced tourist traps.

They are the best first-date move in the city. The view does half the work, the setting is relaxed and public, and it shows you've made an effort. Book a table if you can, go for sunset, and plan dinner nearby afterwards. Check the dress code for both of you first.

Yes, though fewer than in Bangkok. Pattaya's rooftop bars sit on top of beachfront hotels and look out over the bay, which makes them a good sunset stop before Walking Street. Phuket's are mostly at hillside and beach resorts, with sea views rather than a skyline. Dress codes tend to be more relaxed than at Bangkok's big hotel rooftops, but smart casual is still the safe choice.

Usually, yes. Rooftop bars sell drinks and views to anyone who meets the dress code, and the code applies to her as well, so a smart dress works where a bar outfit may not. A well-dressed, well-behaved couple won't draw comment at most rooftops. It's a good way to treat someone you've spent a few days with, and many bar girls have never been up one. Keep the affection low-key, as you would anywhere upmarket in Thailand.

Not really. Bangkok's rooftop crowd is mostly couples, tourist groups and after-work drinkers, and working girls rarely go to the hotel rooftops unless a customer brings them. Treat a rooftop as the place to take someone, not to find someone. If you want to meet women, start at the bars, the clubs or on a dating app, then save the rooftop for the date that follows.

Yes, and it's easier than you might think. Solo drinkers can often get a seat at the bar counter even when the tables are booked, and bartenders at the quieter rooftops are happy to chat. Arrive early in the evening, order a drink and watch the city light up before you head to the nightlife. One or two cocktails at rooftop prices make a good warm-up; staying all night alone is just an expensive way to drink.